US EditionJapanese court orders Pyongyang to pay damages to survivors of deceptive repatriation program
Tokyo court orders North Korea to pay 88 million yen total to four plaintiffs deceived by repatriation promises, marking a historic recognition of abuses in a decades-old program.
- On January 26, the Tokyo District Court found the North Korean government liable and ordered damages totalling 88 million yen to the four plaintiffs.
- North Korea's 1959 resettlement programme attracted over 93,000 Zainichi Koreans and some Japanese, promoted by Chongryon, a pro‑Pyongyang organisation in Japan.
- Plaintiffs said they were deceived and endured decades of abuse, including control over speech, work, and rationed food, while those suspected of disloyalty faced imprisonment and forced labor.
- Human Rights Watch called on the Japanese government to press North Korea for responsibility and victims' resettlement, while Kenji Fukuda suggested confiscating North Korean assets in Japan to recover damages.
- The ruling aligns with a 2014 United Nations Commission of Inquiry that found crimes against humanity, and the 2023 high court decision affirmed jurisdiction, with Atsushi Shiraki calling it historic.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Associated Press News
Japanese court orders Pyongyang to pay damages to survivors of deceptive repatriation program
A Japanese court has held North Korea responsible for human rights violations against four plaintiffs lured to the country by false promises of a "paradise on Earth."
Japanese court orders North Korea to pay damages to survivors of deceptive repatriation program
A Japanese court has held North Korea responsible for human rights violations against four plaintiffs lured to the country by false promises of a "paradise on Earth."
Japan Court Finds North Korea No ‘Paradise on Earth’
Click to expand Image Plaintiffs hold a banner with their supporters in front of the Tokyo District Court when they filed a lawsuit against North Korea over the “Paradise on Earth” campaign in 2018. © 2018 Kanae Doi/Human Rights Watch In a January 26 ruling, a Japanese district court held the North Korean government liable for grave human rights violations against Koreans and Japanese citizens lured to North Korea through its “Paradise on Earth”…
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